Tuesday: Mushroom-Beef Burger with Colorful Broccoli Slaw

 

We finally got around to cleaning out the BBQ for the summer. Boy, was it a mess. Guess that's what happens when you don't touch it for 9 months! This is hard to admit, but I am way out of my comfort zone with the BBQ. I can make meals on the stove or in the oven all day, but when it comes to the BBQ, something always gets burned, overcooked or undercooked. Besides, cooking on the BBQ is supposed to be a man's job, right? :) Okay, no excuses...I just never really got around to learning how to cook stuff on it.  My husband Travis loves to BBQ and is quite good at it, but during the week there just isn't enough time. So, I am going to try to tackle the beast this summer and become an avid BBQ-er. So, if any of the pictures look a little "crispy" you'll know why. 

This is a "healthier" version of your typical beef burger in a hamburger bun, because of the added mushrooms, extra-lean ground beef and it's nested between an english muffin instead of a huge hamburger bun. My kids can never fit one of those mega hamburger buns between their chubby little hands, so english muffins work a lot better for us.

~Anybody have any good tips on using the BBQ?~

Burger Recipe
4 servings
 

Cooking Spray
8 oz shiitake mushrooms, stemmed ( I didn't find these in my grocery store, so I substituted with baby bella mushrooms-chopped)
1 small onion or 2 shallots, chopped
1 lb extra-lean ground beef
3 TB reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tsp tomato paste
4 english muffins, split and toasted
1/2 head of romaine lettuce, chopped
2 oz extra-sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded or sliced
3 dill pickels

1. Preheat your grill to medium. In a skillet that has been sprayed with cooking spray, cook mushrooms about 5 minutes. Add 2 TB water, cook for a couple more minutes until water is evaporated or mushrooms are soft. Transfer to a coliander, and once the mushrooms have cooled, squeeze as much liquid as you can out of them. Place in a medium sized bowl, and set aside. 
2. Wipe skillet out with paper towel, spray with cooking spray again, and cook onion over medium heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Add half of the onion and ground beef to mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Form mixture into 4 patties. 
3. Transfer remaining onion to a small bowl. Stir in mayonnaise and tomato paste. Toast english muffins. Spread the mayo mixture onto the bottoms of each english muffins half. Divide half of the lettuce among each of the muffin bottoms. Add patties to the grill. Cook for about 4 minutes. Flip, divide cheese among each burger. Cover with foil and cook until melted, about another 2 minutes. Stack patties on to muffin bottoms, top with pickles, remaining lettuce and set english muffin tops in place. Serve with colorful broccoli slaw.  

Broccoli Slaw Recipe
4 servings

  I love how healthy this coleslaw version is. It uses mostly non-fat yogurt for the dressing and instead of your traditional cabbage it uses grated broccoli and carrot. Add some roasted sunflower seeds and cranberries to top it off! So yummy!


1/2 cup plain Greek-style yogurt, non-fat preferred (happen to have regular yogurt at home? Check out this link to find out how to make your plain-jane yogurt into greek style. Greek Style Yogurt )
3 TB mayonnaise
2 TB lemon juice
2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 12 oz package of broccoli slaw mix, or use the stalks from 1 large head of broccoli and 1 large carrot
1/4 cup shelled roasted sunflower seeds
1/4 cup dried cranberries

1.Whisk in a large bowl the yogurt, mayo, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper together. If using whole broccoli stalks and carrot, peel of hte tough outer layer of the broccoli stalks and trim off 1/4" from the bottom. Peel carrot, then shred the broccoli stalks and carrot in a food processor with the shredder attachment. Add shredded broccoli and carrots or broccoli slaw mix to the dressing and toss to coat. Stir in sunflower seeds and cranberries. Serve with mushroom-beef burger. This makes the perfect summer side dish, especially at potlucks or BBQ's!

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Plan and Prep Ahead

Here are some helpful techniques to make life a little easier once dinner time hits. These tips will especially help those that work full-time and don't have a lot of time to prepare dinner.

~Form burgers ahead of time, place on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cover with seran wrap and keep in fridge until ready to use. 
~Make broccoli slaw ahead of time and keep in fridge.

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Who likes to CHANGE IT UP? 

~Try using ground turkey or chicken or a mix of different kinds.  
~Add green onions instead of onions. 
~This burger would be yummy with 1/4 defrosted corn.
~Use cabbage instead of broccoli slaw mix. 
~Throw in some dried cherries instead of cranberries.  

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Extra-Sharp Cheddar 

What I like about using extra-sharp cheddar in most of my recipes is you don't need to use as much to get great flavor in your meals. That means overall your food will be less fat and calories! Can anybody say WHOOHOO? :)

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Monday: Farm Fresh Beet Stacked Burger

 

The word that best describes this burger is FRESH. The herb infused goat cheese topping used in this Rachel Ray recipe reminds me of a German spread called Quark. Germans like to spread it on their toast for breakfast for a light and fresh start to their day. To make the burger a little leaner, I used half ground turkey breast, half ground chicken, but you can use whatever meat you prefer. Enjoy!

Burger Recipe
4-6 servings

 1 beet, peeled and sliced 1/4" thick
1 1/2 lbs ground meat (chicken, lean turkey or lean beef)
1/3 cup plus 1 TB flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped or grated
2 TB Worcestershire sauce
3 oz goat cheese
1/2 cup sour cream, creme fraiche or Greek-style yogurt (want to make greek-style out of regular yogurt? Check out this link on my blog to see how: Making Greek Yogurt)
1 TB fresh thyme, chopped or 1 tsp dry thyme
1 TB finely chopped dill, or 1 tsp dry dill
1 tsp lemon peel, grated
4 crusty rolls
1 red onion, cut 4 thin slices off
4 lettuce leaves

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the beet and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 10-12 minutes, until tender. Drain.
2. Combine ground meat, 1/3 cup parsley, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Form into patties (4-6) and make a thumbprint in the center of each. Coat each pattie with cooking spray.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties, and cook for 6-8 minutes. While patties are cooking, in a medium bowl crumble goat cheese, add yogurt, thyme, dill, lemon peel and remaining 1 TB parsley.
4. Place the patties on the roll bottoms. Top with beet slices, goat cheese mixture, onion, lettuce and the roll tops. 

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Plan and Prep Ahead

Here are some helpful techniques to make life a little easier once dinner time hits. These tips will especially help those that work full-time and don't have a lot of time to prepare dinner.

~Make yogurt spread ahead of time and keep in fridge until time of use.
~Cook beet ahead of time, and refrigerate until time of use.
~Make burger patties ahead of time, and keep in fridge up to 24 hours.

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Who likes to CHANGE IT UP? 

~Instead of lettuce use spinach leaves. 

~Try chopped basil instead of parsley, use only 1/4 cup chopped basil for burger and 1 TB chopped basil for yogurt spread.

~Replace thyme with fresh oregano or rosemary.

~Use a little pesto on each roll bottom.

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Thursday: South-of-the-Border Vegan Burger with Orange Slices

 

There is no bland flavor with this burger, not when they have a hint of chipotle chile in adobe sauce! If you or your kids don't care for a spicy kick, you can opt for the milder green chili version. I altered the vegetarian times recipe a little because the burgers didn't stick together very well the first time we made them, and kept falling apart. Add a little flax seed meal to bind them better and stick them in the freezer for a short time, and that did the trick! They are great with toasted english muffins or your favorite bread roll. Stick a couple leaves of lettuce in there and some avocado and your burger is complete!

Burger Recipe
6-8 servings

 2 cups hot brown rice, cooked (simmer 1 cup of brown rice with 2 cups of water for 40 minutes...if you have leftover rice, heat up in microwave before adding to veggie mixture)
1 1/2 TB olive oil
1 onion (1 1/4 cup), chopped
1 red bell pepper (3/4 cup), chopped
3/4 cup (1 medium ear) fresh corn kernels
1 chipotle chile in adobe sauce, minced plus 2 tsp sauce (going mild? From 1 small can of mild chile, chop 1 finely; or skip the chipotle chile all together)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup instant masa harina or yellow cornmeal
2 TB flaxseed meal or if not going vegan use 2 eggs
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 1/2 TB lime juice (from 2-3 limes)
3/4 tsp lime zest (from 1 lime)
Cheddar cheese slices, optional

1. Over a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, corn, chipotle or mild chile, adobe sauce, garlic, cumin and salt. Saute 2 minute and then turn heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until veggies are soft, stirring once in a while. 
2. Whisk 1/2 cup water with masa harina or cornmeal. Add to skillet mixture, cover and cook on low for 10 minutes more. Remove from heat.  
3. Whisk flaxseed meal with 6 TB of water, and let sit for 5 minutes. Add to skillet and mix well. If using eggs, whisk those together and add to skillet, mixing well.
4. Stir in hot rice, cilantro, lime juice and lime zest. While letting the mixture cool off a little, prepare a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper. Wet hands and shape mixture into burgers. Place on prepared baking sheet. Stick in freezer for 15-30 minutes, checking periodically to see if burgers are firm enough.

5. Use a grill pan or skillet for stove top or heat up your grill for BBQ. Brush burgers and skillet or grill rack with olive oil. Grill or cook over medium-high heat 7 minutes on each side until crusty on the outside. Top with cheese if you would like in the last 3 minutes. Serve on top of a toasted english muffin or favorite bread roll with your condiments to your liking, sliced avocado and lettuce leaves. YUM!

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Plan and Prep Ahead

Here are some helpful techniques to make life a little easier once dinner time hits. These tips will especially help those that work full-time and don't have a lot of time to prepare dinner.

~Chop veggies ahead of time.
~Make brown rice ahead of time. 
~Make burgers ahead of time, just don't cook them. Keep in freezer until time of use. 

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Who likes to CHANGE IT UP? 

~Instead of cilantro use parsley or just skip it. 

~Use a different grain like quinoa or millet instead of brown rice.

~Replace lime with lemon. 

~Try a pesto sauce with this burger.

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Wednesday: Turkey Burger with Goat Cheese Spread and Garlic-Broccoli

 

This is one of my favorite burgers. I love that it has some sort of vegetable (spinach) in it. This Cooking Light Burger makes me feel good about serving it to my kids. The lemon zest gives it an extra burst of citrus goodness. :) Serve with a side of garlic-broccoli and you have made yourself a healthy dinner! There are only 269 calories per burger. YUM-YUM!

Turkey Burger Recipe
4 servings

2 tsp lemon rind, grated
1/2 tsp salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb ground turkey breast
1 cup of fresh spinach, finely chopped
1 large egg white
1/8 tsp pepper, divided
6 English muffins, toasted
6 green leaf lettuce leaves
6 slices red onion 

1. Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Divide turkey mixture into 6 portions, shaping each into a patty. Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Spray with cooking spray. Add patties to pan, and cook for 8 minutes on each side or until done. 

 2. Toast english muffins. Spread 1 1/2 TB yogurt mixture on bottom half. Top with 1 lettuce leaf, 1 onion slice and 1 patty. Place top half of bun on each serving.

Yogurt/Goat Cheese spread Recipe 

1/2 cup low or nonfat yogurt or Greek style yogurt (if using low or nonfat-see additional instructions below) 
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 cup (1oz) crumbled goat cheese (I like using an herb variety)
2 TB flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 TB fresh oregano, chopped
1 TB fresh mint, chopped 

1. If using Greek style yogurt, go to step 2. If not, follow these instructions. Place yogurt in a paper towel lined strainer. Drain yogurt over sink for about 15 minutes. This thickens the yogurt, and turns it into something similar to Greek-style yogurt.

2. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stirring well. 

Broccoli Recipe 

1 lb Broccoli crowns, cut up into bite sized pieces
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 TB olive oil 

1. Steam broccoli for about 4-6 minutes until it is still crunchy. In a medium skillet, heat up olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Add cooked broccoli and saute for another minute until everything is blended together. Serve with Turkey burger. 
 

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Plan and Prep Ahead

Here are some helpful techniques to make life a little easier once dinner time hits. These tips will especially help those that work full-time and don't have a lot of time to prepare dinner.

~Combine turkey mixture ahead of time and keep in fridge for no longer than 24 hours. 
~Make goat cheese spread ahead of time, and keep in fridge. 
~Slice red onion ahead of time and keep in fridge.

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Who likes to CHANGE IT UP?

~Use ground chicken, pork or beef instead of turkey. If using beef, make sure to get lean cuts to cut down on the fat content.
~Try chopped rosemary and basil instead of oregano and mint. 
~Swap parsley for cilantro. 
~Yummy sourdough bread or french bread rolls would be good with these burgers. 
~Instead of goat cheese try feta. 
~Zest up a lime instead of lemon for the burgers. 
~Add some sprouts instead of lettuce. 

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Have you ever tried goat cheese?  

When I first discovered goat cheese, I was going to college in Arcata, CA and as some of you know, Arcata is ALL about organic food and health food. At one of the coffee shops they used to serve a toasted Foccasia bread sandwich with goat cheese , marinated artichokes and portabella mushrooms. Ever since then, I have been in love with goat cheese!

Goat cheese has a very distinct tangy flavor. It is tolerated well by those that are lactose intolerant and comes in many different flavors. My personal favorite is an herb variety. If you've never tried goat cheese, check it out next time you are at the grocery store. You might be pleasantly surprised how much you enjoy it. It's super yummy on a spinach salad with strawberries and slivered almonds.

Thursday: Apple-Cheddar Turkey Burgers with Yummy Cranberry-Strawberry-Spinach Salad

This one I found in a Rachael Ray magazine years ago, and it has been a family favorite every since. The cranberry flavor really compliments the apple-cheddar combo. Unfortunately, cranberry sauce is something that is usually seasonal. So, if you like this meal, get a bunch of cans that will last you for the rest of the year. Or you can always replace it with ketchup!

Recipe

2 lbs ground turkey breast
4 green onions finely chopped
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 TB grill seasoning
1 tsp poultry seasoning
2 TB olive-oil
1 granny-smith apple, halved, cored and sliced into 12 slices
8 slices extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce
2 TB grainy mustard
4 english muffins, split and toasted
8 leaves of red or green leaf lettuce

1. Mix the turkey, green onions, parsley and seasonings together in a bowl. Form them into patties to fit the english muffins, pressing your thumb into center of each to prevent it from bulging. In a different bowl, mix together cranberry sauce and mustard, set aside.

2. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties and cook for 5 minutes on each side. Top with 1 apple slice and 1-2 cheese slices, tent pan with foil and cook until cheese melts about 1-2 minutes.

3. Slather cranberry mixture on to muffin tops. Pile 1-2 lettuce leaves on each muffin bottom, top with the patties. Enjoy!

Yummy Cranberry-Strawberry-Spinach Salad

Spinach leaves
Strawberries, sliced
sliced almonds or pine nuts
dried cranberries
TJ's Cranberry-Gorgonzola Dressing or a Raspberry Vinaigrette
goat cheese, crumbled (optional)

1. Mix all the ingredients together in your favorite salad bowl. Top with dressing when ready to serve.

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Who likes to change it up?

~Instead of cranberry sauce use ketchup on top and mustard on bottom half.
~Replace english muffins with whole grain hamburger buns or your favorite fresh bread.
~Try spinach instead of lettuce.
~Add ground chicken instead of turkey for the burger. ~For the salad try clementine, orange or tangerine pieces instead of strawberries.
~Use feta cheese instead of goat cheese for the salad.


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Does it matter what kind of ground Turkey I buy?

Honestly, I didn't even know there were different kinds of ground turkey. I thought it was all the same, until I started reading labels. If it's not labeled ground turkey breast, than usually it has skin and dark meat in it which causes it to have a high fat content, sometimes higher than lean ground beef! So, bottom line? Read those labels!